Wattleseed Gnocchi

Gnocchi can be a daunting dish to prepare but with a little practice it's easy. Making gnocchi is quick to make and you don't need any special equipment. Wattleseeds give the gnocchi a mild nutty mild coffee type flavour. Wattleseeds can be purchased in the U.K. from Sainsburys in the gourmet section. In Australia they are sold at many delicatessen.

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4-6 Portions
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Prep: 10-15 minutes plus 20 minutes for cooking the potato
Cook: 5 minutes

Ingredients

Wattleseed Gnocchi

  • 750g potato
  • 75g plain flour
  • 1 egg yolk
  • 2 tsp. wattleseeds
  • pinch maldon salt

Wild Mushroom Sauce (optional):

  • 30g dried wild mushrooms, reconstituted in boiling water (water reserved)
  • 100ml dry white wine
  • 100g button mushrooms\, finely sliced
  • 400ml creme fraiche
  • maldon salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method

  1. Gnocchi: Place the potatoes with their skin on in a saucepan with water and bring it to the boil and reduce to a strong simmer. Leave the potatoes to cook for 15-20 minutes until just tender or microwave them for 8-10 minutes on high (this is the best method as it retains the starch in the potatoes). Remove the potatoes from the water or microwave and peel them why they are still hot.
  2. Flour a work top. Place the potatoes in a mouli (ricer) and puree them over the floured work top or mash them in a bowl until smooth. Sprinkle the flour, wattleseeds and salt over the potato. Beat the egg yolk and place it in the centre of the potato. Using your hands knead all the ingredients gently together to form a firm ball. Roll out the potato into long sausage shape around 1.5-2cm in diameter. Cut the gnocchi into pieces around 3cm at a slight slant. Place the gnocchi on a lightly floured tray and place it in a cool place until ready to cook.
  3. To Cook: Bring a large saucepan of salted water to the boil and reduce it to a strong simmer. Place a few pieces of gnocchi at a time to cook for 1-2 minutes (they are cooked when they rise to the top). Make sure you don't over fill the pan. Remove the gnocchi from the heat and place the gnocchi onto serving plates or bowls and keep them warm while you cook the remaining gnocchi
  4. Sauce: Place the mushrooms in a saucepan with 300ml of the soaking water and 100ml dry white wine. Bring it to the boil and reduce to a strong simmer, leave it to reduce by a third. Remove the sauce from the heat and stir in the creme farce and season it with a little salt and pepper.
  5. To Serve: Pour the sauce over the gnocchi and lightly toss it so the gnocchi is coated in the sauce. Serve.
  • Gnocchi is also great with simply melted butter and sage or try a creamy goats cheese sauce.
  • Wattleseeds are easily purchased in Australia in delicatessen and gourmet shops. In the U.K. Wattleseeds can be found in the gourmet food section in Sainsiburys.